An efficient heat transfer to a substrate is difficult to carry out. Suitable heating may require very high temperatures if the heat transfer is not efficient enough. Most heating apparatuses comprise a heated metallic plate brought into contact with a substrate to be heated.
Transferring heat onto a substrate can damage the substrate. In particular, contacting a substrate at high temperatures, such as temperatures above 150° C. can cause burns to the substrate. A particular example is the application of hair straighteners, wherein hair to be straightened is submitted to high temperatures and result in substantial damaging of the hair, such as scorching, split ends, breakage, sharp bends, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,735 describes a hair iron comprising a hair heating surface and a pressing surface of an iron covered with iron press covers made from a woven or nonwoven cloth of heat-resistant synthetic fibers.
US 2008/0041408 recites a hair styling apparatus that has a heating member and a polytetrafluoroethylene cloth covering the heating member.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a high-heat delivery device which efficiently transfers heat at temperatures equal to or above 150° C. to a substrate while causing less damage to the substrate.
The object is met by the high-heat-delivery device suitable for heat transfer to a substrate by direct contact with said substrate, comprising at least one first element (A) having a heat transfer contact surface area, wherein the first element (A) comprises, or is made of, a thermoconductive thermoplastic polymer composition comprising at least one polymer and a thermoconductive additive. The device according to the present invention achieves the aim of efficiently providing the required heat to a substrate while causing less damage to said substrate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the device further comprises at least one element (B) having a heat transfer contact surface area, the element (B) comprising a polymer composition comprising at least one polymer and at least one thermo-releasable substance. In this embodiment, an element (B) together with element (A) of the device, allows the release of a substance onto, or into, the substrate. The release of the thermo-releasable substance is carried out with the heating of element (B). The term ‘thermo-releasable’ is to be understood as the release of a substance under the effect of heat.